The Toronto Blue Jays (73-80) travel to face off against the Tampa Bay Rays (75-78) on Friday, September 20th. This game will be played at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg and televised on SNET. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. First pitch is set for 5:50 CT.
Blue Jays vs. Rays Betting Prediction
- Money Line Prediction: Rays (-114)
- Over/Under Prediction: Over 7.5 Runs
- The Rays have scored 8 or more runs in 3 of their last 5 home games.
- The Rays have won 4 of their last 6 home games.
- The Rays have a higher home win percentage (.500) compared to the Blue Jays’ away win percentage (.449).
- The Rays have outscored the Blue Jays 13-0 in their most recent head-to-head game.
- The Rays have a better overall run differential in the last 15 games (+4) compared to the Blue Jays (-10).
Blue Jays vs Rays
The Blue Jays Are Coming Off A Win
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is having a big season for the Blue Jays, and he went 3/4 with two homers and two RBIs in Toronto’s 4-0 win over the Rangers to close out their series. The Blue Jays really got things going with a big 2nd inning, scoring their first run on a wild pitch and adding another run on a single by Spencer Horwitz. They tacked on another run in the 3rd and closed things out with a 9th-inning homer from Guerrero Jr.
Kevin Gausman got the start for the Blue Jays, going five innings, and didn’t give up a run. He also issued just one walk and struck out six Rangers batters. Toronto’s bullpen closed things out with four scoreless innings, and Brad Hand picked up the save.
As underdogs, the Blue Jays have a 45-36 run line record and are 29-52 as favorites. Their overall run line record is 77-76, and they have a 49-29 run line record on the road. The Blue Jays’ games this season have averaged 8.8 runs, and their over/under record is 78-71.
Currently, the Blue Jays are in 5th place in the AL East, two games behind the Rays for the 4th spot. They have a 73-80 overall record and are 16 games behind the Yankees in the division. In their last three games as favorites, they have come out victorious.
José Berríos Gets The Start For The Blue Jays
José Berríos gets the start for the Blue Jays today as he faces the Rays on the road. He has made 30 starts this season and has a record of 16-9 with a 3.44 ERA. Berríos has pitched well as of late, coming into the game with a three-game winning streak. In his last outing, he went seven innings, giving up just one earned run and picking up the win. Berríos’ WHIP for the season is currently 1.12, and he has one complete game and 20 quality starts. Per nine innings, he is averaging 7.02 strikeouts and 2.45 walks.
Blue Jays Offense Breakdown
Over the past nine games, Davis Schneider has been swinging a hot bat for the Blue Jays, hitting three homers and going 9/31 (.290) with nine RBIs. This has helped him move into the team’s home run lead. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and George Springer are the team’s top home run hitters for the season, with Guerrero Jr. leading the way with 30 homers and a team-leading 99 RBIs. However, Springer is batting just .223 for the season.
As a team, the Blue Jays are 22nd in home runs and are averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is also 19th in the league. Their team batting average of .242 is 13th in the league, and they have been good at putting the ball in play, as their 7 strikeouts per game is the 6th best mark in the MLB.
The Rays Are Coming Off A Win
Heading into their last game vs. the Red Sox, the Rays closed out the series with a 2-0 win. Leading up to the game, they were the slight favorite at -104 on the money line. Offensively, the Rays only scored two runs but finished with a total of seven hits. They didn’t hit a home run.
Zack Littell put together a good start for the Rays, going seven innings and not giving up a run. He also issued just one walk and struck out seven Red Sox batters. Tampa Bay’s bullpen closed things out, and Garrett Cleavinger picked up the save.
As underdogs, the Rays have a 55-32 run line record and a 40-47 straight-up record. On the road, their run line record is 43-32, but as favorites, they are just 24-42. Tampa Bay’s games have averaged 8.0 runs this season, and they have gone over the total in 66 of their 145 games.
Tampa Bay, currently 4th in the AL East with a 75-78 record, is coming off a series win against the Red Sox. They are 21-25 in AL East matchups this season and trail the Yankees by 14 games in the division.
Tyler Alexander Gets The Start For The Rays
Tyler Alexander is getting the start for the Rays today and has made 21 appearances this season. He has made just one quality start and has an ERA of 5.58. Opponents are batting .264 off the left-hander this season. In his last outing, Alexander gave up four earned runs in five innings of work out of the bullpen. He took the loss in that outing. Before that, he had won two straight appearances. Alexander’s record for the season is 6-5.
Rays Offense Breakdown
For the season, the Rays are averaging just 3.8 runs per game, which is 29th in the league. They have also been one of the league’s worst home run hitting teams, as their 140 homers is 24th in the league. As a team, they are batting just .231, which is 18th in the league. The Rays have been led by Yandy Diaz, who is batting .283 for the season and has 14 homers.
Over his last seven games, Brandon Lowe has two home runs and four RBIs, but he is hitting just .241 during that stretch. Lowe is 2nd on the team with 19 homers but is batting just .244 for the season. He is also on a four-game hitting streak. Christopher Morel has 21 homers this season but is batting just .196.
Blue Jays vs Rays Prediction
Our prediction for today’s Blue Jays vs. Rays matchup is to take the Rays on the money line at -114. We have the Rays winning this one by a score of 5-4. If you’re looking for a parlay, we also like the over/under line of 7.5 runs.
Looking at today’s starters, Tyler Alexander is projected to finish with five strikeouts, and he ranks 20th among starters in terms of strikeout projections. As for José Berríos, he is projected to finish with five K’s, and he ranks 19th.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:September 20, 2024 Blue Jays, Rays